Spring bumper and draft gear



///////////////.r7//f/ll May 20, 1947. H. H. PANCAKE SPRING BUMPER AND DRAFT GEAR Filed Nov. 4. 1943 Illll Patented May 20, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPRING BUMPER AND DRAFT GEAR Herman H. Pancake, Huntington, W. Va., as-

signor to American Car and Foundry Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 4, 1943, Serial No. 508,969

Claims. l

This invention relates to spring bumper and draft gear in general and in particular to such gears intended for use on mine or other industrial cars.

In mine and industrial work it is generally necessary, due to lack of space, to place the draft and bufng zones of a car one above the other. In order to economize in the use of springs it is advisable for the buff and draft forces to act on the same springs, or at least a part of the springs, Since the buff forces may greatly exceed the draft forces, the springs are usually placed as near in line with the buff forces as possible, with the result that the draft forces are applied eccentrically with respect to the springs, thereby causing tilting and excessive wear on the parts. It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to provide a combined spring bumper and draft gear having spring means so arranged as to receive the buiiing and draft forces substantially in line with the axis A further object of the invention is the provision of a combined spring bumper and draft gear having pairs of concentric coil springs, all of which act together to resist buff forces and a part only of which act to resist draft forces.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a spring bumper and draft gear in which the draft forces are transmitted to a part only of the springs by means of a draft pin acting as a lever.

These and other objects of the inventio-n will be apparent to persons skilled in the art from a study of the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a half plan half sectional view of the improved bumper a-nd draft construction;

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section through the bumper and taken substantially on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional View through the bumper and showing the parts when moved by draft forces.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the improved bumper and draft gear has been applied to a mine `car of more or less conventional form and is an improvement over the construction shown in my Patent 2,250,600 granted July 29, 1941. As clearly shown by the drawings the end structure which forms part of the car is formed by a top plate 2 bent inwardly and downwardly as at 4, thence inwardly as at 6. This plate extends substantially across the car between the side sills and has welded or otherwise attached thereto side plates 8 by means of which the end structure may be riveted or otherwise fastened to the car side sills (not shown). Outwardly of the inclined plate part 4 a vertically extending plate part I0 is provided bent outwardly at its lower edge to provide the lower plate I2 of the end structure. In order to stiffen upper plate 2 and lower plate I2, plates I4 are welded or otherwise secured to these plates and to the vertical or back plate I0. In this manner a strong end structure is formed having an outwardly open recess for reception of the bumper structure later to be described. Centrally of top plate 2 a notch is formed through which the downwardly extending end I6 of a draft bar I8 may be extended for attachment to the vertically extending back-up plate I0. In order to prevent distortion of the draft bar and t0 give it added strength, a strap 20 is welded or otherwise attached to the draft arm or bar and extends inwardly and downwardly for attachment to the sloping plate il of the end structure. Side plates 22 are attached to the bar 20 and draft arm I8 thereby stiffening the draft members and forming an exceedingly strong draft arm or bar. As clearly shown, the draft arm or bar is slotted as at 24 to receive a draft pin 26, the lower end of which projects into the -bumper head which will now be described.

The combined draft and bufng member consists of a bumper head movable inwardly and outwardly with respect to the car and which head is received in the recess formed by plates 2, I0, I2 and I4. AS clearly shown, the bumper head is formed by a lower wall or plate 30 merged into a vertically extending wall 32 which in turn merges into a rearwardly extendingtop plate 34. The front wall 32 is curved, as clearly shown, in order that bumping forces may be received while a car is rounding a curve. The -bumper head is internally braced and reinforced by a cast or drop forged member attached thereto and having a front wall 36 curved to conform to theV curvature of the vertical wall 32. The inner portion of the reinforcing member is provided with flat surfaces 38 located on either side of a central projection flo. The inner face of this projection is formed with a semi-cylindrical recess 42 within which the lower end of draft pin 26 may be received. It is, of course, obvious that the top plate 34 at least of the bumper head is provided with an opening for reception of the draft pin. The top and bottom plates 34 and 30 respectively of the bumper head are provided adjacent their inner edges with rectangular openings 44. These openings are adapted to receive follower plates 46 having a central opening 48 formed therein and communicating with a slot 50, thus, in effect, forming a follower of U-shape. In order to prevent inward motion of the followers relative to the car structure, circular bosses 52 are welded or otherwise attached to theA outer surface of vertical back plate I0. These bosses may have a ilat outer surface, but as shown are formed with a recess or cup 56 adapted to receive and support the inner end of an inner coil spring 58. As shown, the followers have their inner surfaces normally engaging the outer surfaces of the bosses 52, while their outer surfaces are engaged by the inner ends of outer coil springs 60. The outer ends of coil springs 58 and 60, which constitute pairs, are engaged by rings 62 welded or otherwise secured to the heads of `bolts or rods 64. These bolts or rods extend through the nested coil springs and through the bosses 52 and back-up plate I0 and have their inner ends slotted to receive a key 66 which may be locked in position by a bolt or pin (not shown) inserted through a hole 68. It will thus be seen that the bolts or rods hold the pairs of springs in position on the car structure and also through the followers 46 hold the bumper head in place.

In assembling the construction the springs may be assembled on the bolts or rods 64, after which the followers 46 may be inserted through slots 44 formed in the bumper head plates, thus retaining the outer springs 60 in position within the bumper head, With the spring pairs and bolts assembled on the bumper head, the head is forced into the end structure recess with the rods extending through the bosses 52, after which keys 66 may be driven into position locking the entire structure together. Under buff forces the rods, together with rings 62, will be forced inwardly thus moving the outer ends of each coil spring inwardly and since the inner ends of each coil spring are immovably held by the bosses 52, the springs constituting the pairs are compressed. Under draft forces, however, the bumper head will move outwardly, such movement being caused by pin 26 tilting about the draft bar I 8 as a fulcruin and reacting against the semi-circular recess of projection 40 substantially in the horizontal plane of the nested coil springs. Outward movement of the bumper head will cause the followers 46 to move outwardly away from the bosses 52. Since the outer ends of coil springs 60 are held against outward movement by rings 62 and rods 64, these outer coil springs will be compressed under draft forces, all as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The outward motion of the bumper head will in no way affect the inner coil springs of each pair since the followers 46 may move freely with respect to the inner coil springs of each pair. It will be obvious that by selection of Awire sizes the relative strengths and softness of springs 58 and 60 may be changed to produce any desired division between the draft and buff forces.

Although the construction has been described more or less in detail, it will be obvious to persons skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of parts other than those shown and described may be made and all such modifications and rearrangements of parts are contemplated as fall within the scope of the appended claims defining my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a combined draft and bufng gear for cars, the combination with a car of a bumper head having rearwardly directed upper and lower flanges, said bumper head being movable inwardly and outwardly relative to the car under buff and draft forces from a normal position, openings in the upper and lower flanges of said bumper head, a coupling pin fulcrumed on said car medially of said bumper head and bearing adjacent its lower end on said bumper head, said coupling pin acting a-s a lever of the third class in transferring draft forces to said bumper head to move the same outwardly, a plurality of independent concentrically arranged coil springs at each side of said coupling pin and opposing the relative motion between the car and bumper, means carried by the car providing an abutment for the outer ends of said springs, said coil springs all acting in unison opposing inward motion of the bumper head under buff forces, and follower plates arranged in said openings and movable therein longitudinally of the car and bearing on the edges thereof and on certain only of said coil springs to oppose outward movement of said bumper head under draft forces.

2. The substance of claim 1 characterized in that the inner end of the inner concentric spring at each side of the coupling pin is seated in a xcd cup attached to the car, which cup forms a stop to resist buff for-ces applied to both the outer and inner concentric springs.

3. In a combined draft and buillng gear for cars, the combination with a car of a bumper head having rearwardly directed upper and lower flanges and movable inwardly and outwardly relative to the car under buff and draft forces from a normal position, openings extending through the upper and lower flanges of said bumper head, spaced apart pairs of concentrically arranged coiled springs interposed between the car structure and bumper head and located between said flanges, each of said pairs of coiled springs comprising inner and o-uter springs acting substantially in unison to oppose inward movement of the bumper head under buff forces, means carried by the car structure providing an abutment for the outer ends of said springs, and follower plates arranged in said openings in said flanges and movable therein longitudinally of the car and acting only on the outer spring of each pair to oppose outward movement of said bumper head under draft forces, said bumper head being movable inwardly relative to said follower plates under buff forces.

4. In a combined draft and bufiing gear for cars, the combination with a car of a bumper head having rearwardly directed upper and lower flanges and movable inwardly and outwardly relative to the car under buff and draft forces from a normal position, openings extending through the upper and lower flanges of said bumper head, spaced apart pairs of concentrically arranged coiled springs interposed between the car structure and bumper head and located between said ilanges, each of said pairs of coiled springs comprising inner and outer springs acting as a unit to opposed inward movement of the bumper head under buff forces, means carried by the car structure providing an abutment for the outer ends of said springs, and follower plates arranged in said openings in said flanges and movable therein longitudinally of the car, said follower plates being located at the inner end of the outer spring of each pair and acting only on the latter to oppose outward movement of said bumper head under draft forces, said follower plates having openings therein to receive said inner springs and being freely movable relative to said inner springs.

5. In a combined draft and bung gear for 5 cars, the combination with a car of a bumper head movable inwardly and outwardly relative to the car under buff and draft forces from a normal position, openings in said bumper head and elongated longitudinally of the car, spaced apart pairs of concentrically arranged coiled springs interposed between the car structure and bumper head, each of said pairs comprising inner and outer springs acting substantially in unison to oppose inward movement of the bumper head under bu forces, means carried by the car structure and bearing against the outer ends of the springs of each pair and movable inwardly in unison with the bumper head under bui forces,

and follower plates arranged in said elongated openings and bearing only on the inner end of the outer spring of each pair and movable outwardly in unison with the bumper head under draft forces to compress only said outer springs, said bumper head being movable inwardly relative to said follower plates unolel buff forces to compress both the inner and outer springs.

HERMAN H. PANCAKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,250,600 Pancake July 29,1941 2,060,053 Edmunds Nov. 10, 1936 2,007,368 Dwyer July 9, 1935 

